


Required Sacrifices

by Paranormally_Normal



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: After season 6, Altean Mice - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Desperate Lotor, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Lotura - Freeform, Mice, Missing Limbs, PTSD, Pet Shenanigans, Robotic limbs, Slow Burn, Trust Issues, Wholesome, Why? Because I'm salty.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-05-30 19:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19409980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paranormally_Normal/pseuds/Paranormally_Normal
Summary: During their fight in the quintessence field, Lotor's self-preservation kicked in last second, making him hit the emergency teleportation dial and leave the battlefield in a haste.Several errors throughout the ship make him come crashing down, in more ways than one.





	1. Fugitive

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! This is my very first fanfiction and I do hope you enjoy reading it.  
> Please leave feedback, I am trying to improve my writing and storytelling and I cannot do this without your help <3  
> Tags will be updated.
> 
> (A little altering of the Quintessence Rifts after the battle, they aren't there, so no castle sacrifice needed.)

Floating in the quintessence field, not much time after Voltron and its paladins fled, was Lotor and his Sincline. The blinding white of all the pure quintessence that flowed just outside his mech engulphed his almost comatose body, his mind barely holding onto conscience as he tried to push himself forward, close enough to reach his control panel which was blinking a strong red to indicate multiple system failures all throughout the ship.

**You betrayed and used me...**

Lotor scowled and propped up on his arms to support himself as he leaned over the dashboard, his head lowered because of his body's weakness, his white and quite messy hair flowing down his shoulders. Those words stung and rung inside his head as if they were an explosion that just went off right next to him. He took a shaky breath as he closed his eyes and hit the emergency wormhole dial on his panel. It should take him out of the quintessence field and to the nearest planet.

And so it did.

His mech was sent flying into the planet's atmosphere, aided by its gravitational pull, it was only mere ticks until it would inevitably crash into its surface.

_'Five ticks until contact'_

A robotic voice sounded through the violent blaring of alarms all around the barely conscious Lotor as the Sincline protruded through thick pastel lavender clouds of the purple-wine planet.

**You're more like Zarkon than I could ever imagine!...**

There they were again, the mocking words of who he once considered an ally, a friend, a lover; words which didn't dare give peace to Lotor's mind but instead clung like parasites, fueling his corruption and hatred towards those who he now saw as traitors.

_'One tick until imminent contact.'_

Blared one last time as Lotor was briefly snapped back to reality, only to be met by the collision of his mech on the rocky soil of the planet which in turn launched him straight through the weakened windshield of his ship and into the cold surface of its host. Now he was truly knocked out cold.

* * *

"No, Pidge, didn't you see how our ray just blasted him? He's dead, I tell you!"

Argued one paladin of the blue lion, holding his helmet under his arm.

"Honestly Lance, I bet 200 GAC and your hair conditioner that he's still alive, somewhere."

Replied the green paladin while taking off her helmet, shooting the young man a glare as if she was absolutely sure about her statement.

"Deal!"

He eagerly fell into her trap as the two shook hands and approached the others in the control room only to find that they were not as optimistic about the recent events. They headed towards Romelle, Kroila, and Hunk, who were chatting about what course of action to take next.

"Hey guys, where's Shiro and Keith?"

Inquired the petite lady as she gently pushed her glasses back to her desired position.

"The infirmary. Shiro is resting and Keith is there to look after him."

Sighed the tall galran woman, her arms crossed.

"What's wrong with Allura?"

Asked Lance after looking at the white-haired young lady slumped on the stairs a couple of feet away from the group.

"Don't worry, pointy chin, Allura said she needed some time to think."

Lance almost missed out on what the altean girl said as he looked at Allura with worry. He was lost in thought until he felt a familiar hand pat him on the left shoulder.

"Come on, guys, we should go. I'll make some food for everyone- Pidge, I'll need your help."

The yellow paladin spoke to his group, his calm tone barely hiding the worry lurking underneath.

"What do you need me for? You know I'm bad at cooking-"

"Oh don't worry, I just need a couple of upgrades for the kitchen equipment."

Hunk reassured Pidge, who in return let out a sigh of relief as the group headed for the kitchen.

* * *

_"Sire? Sire."_

Lotor frowned as he heard a soft echo next to his ear. He growled and tried to open up his eyes, only to be met with a blinding neon purple light. The fallen emperor gave up and kept his eyes shut, resting his head on what he thought was a pillow too hard for comfort.

"What."

He inquired, his voice a murmur so low and bitter that not even he could hear. He couldn't move nor feel his limbs, but strangely felt no pain either, yet. Was he dead? Was he still trapped in his Sincline, damned to spend his days as a Stil'lke? He asked himself, was he truly dead? Lotor growled and clenched his teeth as his thoughts were interrupted by a light shining into his left eye.

"He's responsive."

The light moved over to his right eye and Lotor's ears flinched as he heard that voice again. This time, he tried to keep his eyes open, barely, to shelter them from the purple neon illuminating the room. He looked around and saw figures and... recovery equipment? Wow, Stil'lke sure was something. His ears twitched again as he heard fingers snapping to his left and then to his right.

"Leave me be, spirits, and quit your sick torment."

He spat out, almost in a hiss.

"Spirits? Sire, are you alright?"

He saw one figure leaning in and looking at him confused. That was strange.

"I think he's hallucinating."

"But his scans don't show any brain damage."

The confused patient frowned as he heard bickering behind him. Pesky souls, may the ancients have mercy on them.

"You really don't have anything better to do than play with my misery? I pity you all and your unmarked graves."

He rested his head on the hard pillow, might as well throw it away as it felt like a rock. Not more than a tick later he heard a chuckle from another figure to his right. He glared at it from the corner of his eye, confused at what that soul found so funny.

"Emperor, I assure you that we are very much alive as you are. This is not Stil'lke, this is a recovery facility on Ikka'ti."

Ikka'ti, that sounded familiar. A supply outpost not too far from Daibazaal that was almost unnoticeable if not for its vibrant purple rings, he never visited it though. He said no word as his gaze slid down to see the right side of his body, only to be met with a very mutilated arm and leg. His eyes flared wide open and went to look back at the figure, seeking answers without saying a word. Now he saw that it was dressed in a traditional Galra surgeon attire, one more reason to make him think that maybe he was still alive.

The galran surgeon sighed as his previously crossed arms reached over to take a tablet.

"About that, you are indeed extremely lucky to have survived that kind of crash. Have it not been for the locals who brought you here, I'm afraid you wouldn't have survived, sire."

He took a small pause as Lotor began to remember what occurred before that, color draining from his face.

"I cannot say the same for your limbs, sire. We concluded that when your ship crashed you were flung and the right side of your body was the one who potentially saved your life at the expense of... Not being functional ever again."

**"Quit your bullshit and tell me what exactly what needs to be said!"**

Barked Lotor, irritated by the way the surgeon would start telling him stories rather than answering him. It was not common of him to lash out like this but the doctor just ruled it out as shell-shock. The doctor gulped and sighed right after.

"They need to be removed, sire. They will be replaced with state-of-the-art robotic prosthetics at another facility with better equipment."

Lotor frowned and closed his eyes, pressing his head back into the solid pillow.

"Do what you must..."

He growled before attempting to rest. The princess is probably enjoying herself, partying and celebrating his disappearance... He thought as the surgeons began to put him in stasis.

* * *

Allura was in her bed now, fidgeting with her nightgown as she struggled to sleep. She kept seeing him in the corner of her eyes, lurking there and glaring at her. Her tired mind must be playing a sick prank on her by doing this... Or was it perhaps his restless soul?

No. It couldn't be... He wasn't dead now, was he? She kept questioning herself. What about the Galra Empire? A realization struck her mind, her eyes going wild. She might have just killed the only ruler that looked forward to peace and in turn, left a power vacuum within the empire. No, no. He just used her for his own personal gain, he lied and only wanted everything for himself like a spoiled prince...

_Join me..._

The colony, they still haven't checked. But would she really wish to see his barbarous acts? The countless lifeless bodies of her people used all in his twisted quest for "peace"?

_We're on the same side..._

That little damned voice kept interrupting her contradictions. Allura frowned and took a deep breath before she threw her face into a soft pillow to let out a loud groan.

_Allura._

She heard it call her name and she tried to ignore it.

_Allura..._

It called for her attention again, it seemed... disappointed?

_Allura?!_

The pleading voice was now accompanied by a vision of Lotor once she closed her eyes. He looked as scared as he sounded. What the quiznack was going on? She asked herself before inspecting the scenery. Allura held her hand over her chest and gulped, taking a step forward. She instantly heard an ear-piercing pained scream as if someone was being tortured to death. She fell on the supposed floor and covered her ears as hot tears streamed down her face. Her heart broke as a thought popped up in her head:

_Was this how he felt that day? So scared and hurt?_


	2. Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who left such wonderful comments on the first chapter! I'm sorry I couldn't reply to everyone :'D
> 
> I love you all!

"Yes."

Lotor groaned an infuriated response towards his doctor, slumped forward as he looks at the bandaged stumps, the ghastly reminders of the limbs he once had.

"Sire, for the last time, are you absolutely sure you wish to go incognito?"

"Did I stutter or do you truly not realize that enemies could easily take advantage of my current state?!"

The galtean man snapped at the doctor as he fell back on the bed due to the instability of sitting upright. He sighed the instant his head hit the pillow, he swore that he could easily break something with that pillow if he just had the will to throw it.

"I apologize, I shall inform the dispatchers about your command. Vrepit Sa."

With that, the doctor placed a fist over his heart and bowed then left Lotor to rest after the several vargas-long surgery. Lotor, for the first time in all 10.000 and so years of his life, was experiencing boredom. He looked around the room, at the equipment, his stubs... 

"So tomorrow I'll see you two... back."

He lifted an eyebrow as he talked to the silent missing limbs. He will have to adapt to the soon-robotic replacements quickly or he would be held back from doing his duties, he thought. 

* * *

Allura gasped as she shot up from bed in a cold sweat, panting profusely and holding onto her blanket as if her life depended on it. The startled princess thought that if she was going to have nightmares like that every night, she would not be able to sleep at all.

She reached out for her holo-pad which was next to her bed on a nightstand, hand shaking as she took the small transmitter and pressed a button to call for Coran, placing it on her lap while waiting. The hologram popped up signaling that the call was ongoing. Allura cuddled up with her huge pillow, burying her face into it to try and stop herself from crying.

"Princess?"

She instantly shot up and wiped her eyes once she heard Coran on the other end.

"Coran! Yes... I uh..."

"Are you alright?"

The worry on his face matched the one in his voice.

Allura's lip quivered.

"N-No... Can you please come here?"

"In a tick, princess! I'll be right there."

He gave her a comforting smile and she smiled back. The call ended and Allura hunched forward on the big pillow, letting her tears run down her face. The mice would usually come to her aid when she was distressed, but they were nowhere to be found.

* * *

"What- Where did you little ones come from?..."

Lotor questioned the four little critters that somehow made their way on his left arm, inspecting the bandaged stub he had on his right. What type of creatures were these? He had never seen them before, but they did seem peaceful.

One of them squeaked at Lotor and pointed at his missing limb in an inquiring way.

"Ah, that... I guess it's a reminder to not trust the undeserving..."

The man found himself talking to the little ones, calmed by their presence. Three of them, one with pastel pink fur, one with green-grey-ish fur, and one with light blue fur hurried over to his lap and started doing weird gestures. He leaned in a bit, amused by what they were trying to do.

The grey-ish one picked up the blue one and held him over his head due to his small stature, all while in front of the pink one. 

"What are you guys doing?..."

Lotor chuckled and watched as the blue one ruffled the fur on top of his head and replicated Lotor's frontal ahoge, then held the pink one's paw and squeaked at each other until, in the end, they nuzzled.

Oh.

_Oh._

The galtean man looked down, ears droopy and brows knitted together. His sigh was filled with anguish when remembering _that_ moment. The creatures were a bit distressed at his reaction and quickly went up to hug his cheek, trying to comfort the poor man. He sighed again as he ran his left hand through his hair to set it back and gently pat the creatures afterward, trying to push away the memory so it would stop pulling at his heartstrings.

"You still have not answered my question..."

He quickly changed the subject. All the four critters formed a figure that resembled either Voltron, either the Sincline. The Voltron option was out the window, logically, since only he and his Sincline mech arrived on the planet. 

But just for how long were the little ones with him in the Sincline?

* * *

The door swished open.

"I'M HERE!"

Coran walked in with arms full of "snacks" as the paladins called them. The sudden appearance of her advisor startled Allura and she yelped, her face instantly glaring at the entrance of her room.

"CORAN!"

"Sorry princess!"

He walked over and placed the snacks on her bed while taking a seat on the edge of it.

"So, what happened?"

Coran spoke with a soft voice, like a father to his young.

"I-I uhm..." 

Allura's voice began to crackle as she took a deep breath.

"I m-messed up... I messed up really, really bad..."

Coran pouted at the princess' words.

"I-I killed him, Coran... I left h-him there in pain- I didn't even consider listening to h-his part of the narrative- I-"

Allura broke down into her already soaked pillow, clinging onto it like a lifeline. Coran let out a sigh after he remembered who she was talking about, lifting his hand and gently patting the weeping princess' head.

"There, there... If you really wish to rescue him, we'd better find out how to enter the rift without creating any problems..."

Allura remembered-

"The inter-reality gate... The one that we... destroyed."

She groaned into her pillow, trying to devise a plan on how to quickly and effectively repair that thing. After a couple of doboshes passed until Allura spoke again, a bit more determination in her voice.

"Brief the paladins, I'll need to contact Lotor's former generals, they should know how the inter-reality gate operates."

"Princess... Are you sure about this? It's a very fragile plan-"

The stubborn altean frowned.

"I've made up my mind. We're going after him."


	3. Drastic Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PTSD/Panic attack warning! :')

"What do you mean that we're going after him?!"

Pidge was the first in her group to break the eerie silence after Coran's announcement. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a frantic Lance.

"YEAH! Why even should we go back there?! Last time we were there we almost DIED!"

Lance exclaimed, earning a nod of approval from Romelle and a sigh from Kroila. Coran frowned at the boy's outrageous manners.

"It's the princess' command."

Replied Coran, glaring at the _somewhat_ former paladin of the blue lion.

"I do not enjoy this plan any more than you do, Lance, but the princess will not change her mind. Believe me, I tried..."

There was another silence after Coran sighed his reply. 

"I'll go tell Keith..."

Murmured Lance, taking off to go to the black paladin's last known location, Shiro's infirmary. After the doors swished closed, Hunk shily lifted his hand, gaining the attention of Coran, who told him to go ahead and speak.

"Yeah, so uh, what about the portal there?- Was that a portal?- Nevermind, but how will we get there? We destroyed Lotor's way in and we don't even know how to generate them out of nowhere like he did when we fought him! Man, we're lucky they disappeared last time, we don't even know how unstable they are! And if one was to stick around, we won't even know how to close it!"

Hunk rambled in a worry that hinted to panic. Pidge sighed and began to pat her friends' back, trying to comfort him. Yet again before Coran could reply, they all heard an annoyed growl from the back.

"Why would you even want to bring that monster back?! He's a brute that is nothing but a duplicate of his father! Have you seen how many innocent lives he-"

Romelle shouted in anger at the group, scowling and glaring at each and every single one of them until Kroila abruptly stopped her.

"ROMELLE."

The galran woman frowned and looked down at the girl, her big crossed arms tightening around each other. Everyone looked at Kroila as she pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh.

"I cannot bear to think that you all in this very castle have missed one too many important details."

They were all confused at what Kroila meant.

"As much as I hate to say this, Lotor should've had a fair trial. Not only he but all of us could have benefitted from the information he would have given us. And may I remind you that right now there is a power vacuum within the Galra Empire, just because you went ahead and acted with your emotions instead of your head?!-"

Kroila hissed at the last sentence just as the doors swished open again. The princess' figure wearing her paladin uniform stood in the doorway, slowly walking towards the group.

"Kroila is right... That is what I realized just a quintant ago. We need to bring Lotor back, give him a fair trial and figure out his true motives..."

Allura seems to have heard the whole of galran woman's argument, which embarrassed her just a tad.

"I know everyone must have inquiries about how the plan will work..." 

Allura sighed and crossed her arms, tilting her head down a bit as she frowned.

"We'll use the interreality gate-"

"Uhh, the one we literally just _destroyed_?!"

Hunk cut Allura off, his voice hinting at doubt rather than the panic just a couple of doboshes ago. She did not seem to like being cut off, but did take his question to mind.

"Yes, the one we literally just destroyed. That is why we'll need Lotor's generals, they might know how to rebuild it."

The door swished open once again, this time two figures walk in. 

"And why would they even want to help us? Last time I checked, they didn't want anything more than to get rid of Lotor."

Keith asked, mildly irritated that he missed a lot of the previous discussion. Dear ancients, the castle walls didn't seem that soundproof... Even though the question was bitter, it was a very much valid issue that left Allura to think for a bit.

"Safety."

Now everyone was eyeing Allura curiously, seeking an explanation without saying a word.

"They are half-breeds and former generals of Prince Lotor, two facts that would result in a lifetime of uncertainty or extreme consequences if someone was to catch them. We will give them protection and free them of all if any crimes committed, alongside a temporary residence within the castle until the war is over."

Keith seemed to ease down a bit at the princess' logical explanation. It was quiet again, the crew looking at each other and pondering as they awaited a command, seeing as the plan was already put in place.

"So, the plan is: Search for Lotor's generals' location, rescue them, repair the interreality gate, get him out and we'll see from there."

Allura said with confidence, earning the same confident smiles from her crew, all except Romelle and Lance, who gave up on protesting against her command.

* * *

"Your highness, if you could just- sit still-"

One of the aircraft medical staff tried to buckle up Lotor onto a chair all the while the Galran Emperor was brought to giggles and chuckles as he played with the little creatures from yesterquintant. He had learned earlier in that quintant, when his doctor came in to do a last check-up before departure, that they were called _mice_ , moreover _Altean soft-fur mice_ , the type they keep as pets- one more hint to where they came from.

Lotor tried to relax for a moment to let the poor staff member do his job and finish buckling him up. The mice were scattered all over Lotor's upper half, two on his left shoulder- namely the pink one and the tiny blue one, the green-ish one on the top of his head and playing with his hair, and last but not least, the yellow one who was on his right shoulder, curled up in a lock of white hair and taking a nap.

"I wonder if Kova would be pleased to see you, little ones..."

Lotor tilted his head backward, resting it on a small backrest pillow that was surprisingly more comfortable than the one back at the hospital. After the small surprise had worn off, he began thinking about Kova; he missed the cat, a drop of guilt tingled inside his heart as he remembered abandoning his companion.

_Companions._

Lotor eyed carefully at the three mice on his shoulders, careful not to move his head as not to wake the yellow one or cause discomfort to any of them. He tried to look up at the green one, but not even he can be so skilled as to see the top of his head.

"Perhaps not..."

He let out a sigh as he went back to rest his head on the comfy pillow, his mind wondering if he would have gone insane should the mice not have found him yesterquintant. 

_The thrusters are a go._

Lotor heard the faint communication between the pilot and co-pilot of the pod, one that indicated that they were going to be airborne soon. He heard the boom of thrusters, a sound he resented as it reminded him of that- there- they- everything! His pupils contracted as his iris minimized, his whole body began to shake as he grabbed his head with his left arm, slouching forward. 

The mice stumbled a bit but held on tight, the yellow one awoke and the green one went down beside it, all expressing genuine concern at the state of the pained man.

Lotor's head throbbed so quick he would be afraid to not pop a vessel, but not now, now was not the time to be afraid. He let out a loud, cracking roar, alerting the pilots. It honestly scared them, the scream seemed pained, broken, but angry and horrified, nobody could pinpoint what was the sole emotion of his cry, that is because it wasn't just _one_.

His vision went black and he could not hear anymore. He was alone in the dark, again, until a slither of light cracked through and broke the darkness. Everything was a blur, but he saw memories, he knew they were his memories because he heard the distinct tone of Allura's voice, speaking so soft to his past self as if he were just a fragile vase on a shaky rock and she was a feather just brushing past.

Lotor reached out with his right arm, not present enough to realize that somehow it was back, just like his right leg as he stumbled over and fell to his knees. He swore the feeling burning inside his chest was not like the one he felt when his father forced him to watch the planet dear to him be destroyed right before his eyes, it was somehow double- double the pain, the despair, the loss.

He watched as he lost himself when the woman he first loved accused him of being just like his father. He watched as he was pushed over the edge and said things he now regretted. His hands rose up in fists and came down with a force that shook the very place in his mind, his lungs emptying out as he let out an outcry close to the one he had when fighting Voltron's laser in the rift.

Lotor's cheeks felt hot and yet cold, soaked nonetheless. He only experienced this when he was much younger, his father nor Dayak let him shed tears as it was "unfit for a ruler". His fury clouded his surroundings as he ran towards the distancing memory of what were supposed to be his last moments at the hands of _her_ , the Altean princess, his first lover.

"WHY HAVE YOU DESTROYED WHAT WE HAD BUILT TOGETHER!"

He leaped in a reckless attempt to catch the memory, intending to rip it apart if he could, but it just vanished- everything had vanished, and back to the darkness of his mind he was. For the first time in ten millennia, he felt hopeless, alone, scared, _desperate_. Laying down on his side in a fetal position without daring to hold his legs to his chest, he wept and prayed to the ancients to have pity on him and take his life away already, to rid him of the pain he thought would haunt him forever.

_"Allura, don't go..."_

His voice cracked as his vision got engulphed by blinding light.

_"Allura?..."_

He murmured as he heard faint beeping and voices, confused and frustrated at the brightness of the room.

_"Princess?..."_

Lotor shielded his eyes by hovering his right hand over his forehead. His hand felt odd and ice cold. His eyes instantly shot up only to be met by a robotic prosthetic. 

"Lower the damned lights..."

He barked at the staff, his command fulfilled a mere moment later. The light was still on, but dim enough for his eyes to get comfortable. He looked around, scanning the area and the people, who were just galran surgeons and overall medical staff. 

'How long have I been out?... Where... Where are the mice?...'

Lotor thought to himself, lifting himself upright and searching the little critters.

"How long have I been asleep..."

He inhaled sharply as he studied his new limbs.

"And where are my companions..."

Lotor inquired, not taking his eyes off his robotic enhancements, moving his fingers and toes as he tried to get used to the new feeling.

"About three vargas, and for your companions..."

A medical staff member replied to his inquiries, pointing right after at a clear box set on a desk further away. Lotor eased up a bit, rubbing his hands on his cheeks. He was surprised to feel wetness on his left hand's fingers.

_Quiznak..._


	4. Drastic Measures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 💜 Big thanks to my beta readers Adversary and AkiHime! 💖

"Platt! Platt!" Squeaked the tiny blue Chulatt as it pattered on all fours towards the big, yellow mouse who was currently busy trying to keep the viridian-furred Plachu from biting the medical staff who was in charge of placing them into the box. The galran would have dropped them in if not for Chuchule's intervention when Plachu went for a strike against the poor man's hands.

After no more debacles and safely being placed into the clear box, the four mice grouped up and started devising an escape plan.

"Screws, screws! We can unscrew this box!" Pointed out Chuchule, her pink-furred paw extending towards the back of the box as she noticed some loose screws that connected the clear wall to the bottom of the box. The mice turned to see what she was talking about, walking over to inspect just how loose those screws were. Plachu wrapped his tail around the one in the bottom right and twisted, the others watching in surprise as the screw easily came undone. 

"Hold me up, hold me up!" Squeaked Chuchule as she jumped on top of Platt, her feet supported by his paws as she used hers to unscrew the top right screw, throwing it onto the ground after it came out.

After Chuchule jumped back down they pushed the clear glass-like wall, creating a large enough space for them to sneak out. First went Chulatt, second Plachu, third Chuchule and the last one was Platt, who looked over his shoulder at the middle of the bay where Lotor rested on a recovery bed, draped with a dark-gray blanket that went up to his collar. 

"Lotor, he's awake, he's awake!" Platt called out to the others as he noticed the white-haired galtean move and the staff pick up on their work.

"Shh, silent, silent! Or they will notice!" Shushed Chuchule as she watched Lotor rise up and talk to the galran doctor, who just a tick later pointed in the direction of their box. The mice quickly hid behind some stacked books that were conveniently placed one inch away from the box, each one of them peeking to see what was going on. They couldn't really hear much of the conversation, just some tidbits that they didn't understand anyway, so they continued to watch closely as the doctor turned on a transmission screen in case Lotor wished to watch some inter-galactic programs to pass the time.

The doors swished open as a staff member came into the room with some sustenance for the emperor and placed the tray on a stand next to his bed. His personal doctor inquired if he needed anything else, and when Lotor answered with a shake of his head, the galran called for the other three medics to head out. They took a moment to bow to their ruler and salute him in the classic galran fashion before exiting the room.

Finally, the doors swished open and then closed, leaving Lotor somewhat alone as he inspected his hands, especially his left one which was wet from a fugitive tear he caught on his left cheek. After a petty sigh, he moved the blankets away and scooted over to the edge of his bed as the large legs he inherited from his galran descent stepped down onto the cold, metallic floor of the infirmary; though he could only feel its temperature with his left foot, which luckily enough didn't suffer the same consequence as its now robotic counterpart. 

Lotor suddenly stood up only to curse his horrible idea a tick later as he was struck by nausea, which ordered him to sit back down in a haste or else he'd feel the coldness of the floor with his face too. He hissed as his instinct brought his right hand to his head a little bit too harsh, earning a mild hit to the temple from the lower side of his palm. 

A pissed off growl later, he tried standing up again, this time slower so he won't suffer the same experience as before. He focused on keeping his balance, distributing his weight on both of his legs.

'Good' Lotor thought to himself a tick before inhaling sharply, his chest puffing up as he readied himself for the next step, which was literally taking a step. Slowly he lifted his right foot on its sole which in turn lifted his knee as well. He stared down at his leg, focused on making the step forward towards the east-wall counter where the clear box and the mice were supposed to be, but that much focus on just making the step came at a cost as he soon realized, tripping over himself because he forgot to stiffen his knee upon placing his foot down. He lost his balance and immediately fell forward.

"QUIZNACK--"

Lotor gasped as his instincts took over, helping him this time instead of acting out against him with a metallic palm to the head. His left leg and left arm flung forward, his leg grounding itself as he distributed his weight on it, and his clawy hand clinging onto the edge of the counter for support.

"You blasphemous things!" Lotor hissed, glaring accusatorily at his robotic traitors. He lifted himself gradually, trying to haphazardly balance himself once again. He stiffened his whole robotic leg and arm, which was now placed onto the counter just like its counterpart. He did not realize how intricate the design was, its functions just like a mirror image of his normal limbs, with metallic claws that extended and retracted in the same time his normal claws would.

Lotor finally lifted his gaze, looking at the empty clear cage-like box. His eyes went wide and his brows flared up, shocked that they weren't there- He heard a squeak.

He saw little blue Chulatt approach him in a hurry, followed by the others close by. He sighed in relief, a soft smile forming on his stressed face, making his features soften.

"There you are, you rascals..." Lotor chuckled and watched the four little critters inspect his hand with caution. He eased up and noticed that his claws retracted, on both hands.

Interesting.

Lotor's companions took no time to climb into his robotic palm when he turned his hand for them to do so. He stiffened up once again and awkwardly limped in short steps to his bed, sitting down with a sigh. Enough walking for this quintant. He sat upright onto the bed and watched the little ones run around and squeak at each other from time to time. 

Lotor just realized that he felt at ease when he spent time with the mice, dark thoughts didn't dare to cloud his mind as much compared to when he was alone. Emperor of the Galra, child of a tyrant, raised in the battlefield, and an immortal god to many, seeking comfort from four tiny little critters that he didn't even understand.

It did not matter to him, not now. He will not care nor worry for now, not until he was back on his rightful throne. With eyes closed and a relaxed smile, he exhaled with a noise of delight and slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at the hologram display above his bed which showed high-ranking galra propaganda for the-

_'-Kral Zera.'_

* * *

Allura was positioned at the Teludav, her hands placed on the two pillars as the castle wormholed in search of Lotor's generals' location. Pidge and Hunk worked on tracking them while Lance sat in his chair, bored and frustrated partially because he had nothing to do and mostly because of this risky plan. Keith, on the other hand, was speaking with the Blades for insider information, but he wasn't able to get much.

Krolia and Romelle were tasked with arranging a proper room in the castle for Lotor, as spending this much time in the rift would have taken a toll on him and he would most likely need medical intervention.

"Hey Krolia?..." Romelle sighed out as she dusted off some books she took off from an equally dusty shelf in the long-abandoned room.

"Yes?" Answered the galran woman who was searching every inch of the room for anything that could be used as a weapon, Lotor was very crafty and she knew that he could craft a weapon out of almost anything, but there wasn't much, this was an old study room anyway.

"Why did you defend him? You saw what he has done to my people..." Krolia stopped for a second because of the altean's question, turning around slowly to face her. Romelle did as well, with a frown on her face she held the books close to her chest. _Historic a_ _ltean books_.

"Look... I know how much this event pains you, but the situation is now so black and white as it may seem-"

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SEEMS! HE KILLED THEM, YOU SAW THAT! HE ADMITTED!" Romelle cut Krolia off before she could finish her sentence, her nails digging into the books she carried. The tall galran woman stiffened and frowned at the girl's antics.

"You do not know your place, young lady." She growled, scolding Romelle for her unnecessary outbreak.

"That altean we saw was _not_ dead. It was an induced comatose state." Krolia continued after a sigh, crossing her arms and frowning harder as she closed her eyes.

"How do you know?!" Romelle inquired, taken aback. 

"I've worked with engineers within the Blade of Marmora and I've seen that kind of extraction tanks before. They are a very old model of a cryostasis pod, high ranking galran officials used them if they were under attack. They work by extracting their quintessence and storing it while placing the body in a form of cryosleep." The galran woman began to explain how those things worked. 

"How would the extraction of quintessence even help!" Romelle barked like she was just insulted by the woman in front of her. Krolia stopped caring and went back to making a pile of things Lotor could use as weaponry. 

"Self-preservation, the tanks converted it into the bare minimum necessities to keep the body alive for long periods of time," Krolia retorted as she picked up a hidden empty bottle which had Nunvil written on the label. She placed it in the growing pile of wannabe-weapons.

"The place was dusty, Lotor must have shut it down to preserve them, something might have endangered the colony for him to do so." The galran continued as she looked around once again for anything that she might have missed. Romelle on the other hand just finished dusting off the shelves and books, placing them back where they belonged.

This time the altean remained silent and the two continued cleaning the room.

Meanwhile, at the castle's bridge, Hunk furrowed his eyebrows at a dot on his map.

"Hey Pidge? Are you seeing this?" He called out her as he sent the coordinates over to her holo pad. The petite paladin fixed her round glasses as she realized they have finally found one of Lotor's generals! They didn't quite know who, yet, but they were about to find out soon.

Allura was lost in her thoughts while waiting for an all-clear so they could wormhole and search again.

_'What am I going to do?... What if he's dead... What if he changes like Zarkon-'_

_'Like Zarkon...'_

She bit her lip and frowned, lowering her head just a bit, her eyes closing shut as her fingers clenched at the Teludav's pillars, trying to hold back her tears.

_'What have I done... If I wouldn't have said that, perhaps everything would have been better now...'_

The altean princess replayed that memory but tried to do so from Lotor's perspective, and what she realized would have sent her on her knees crying have it not been for the little dignity she had left.

_'He pleaded... I shouldn't- I'm-...'_

"-Sorry! Sorry, could you repeat that Pidge?" Allura was brought back to reality by Pidge's call, her inquiry yelped out in a tone of surprise and a hint of guilt.

"We found one of his generals, Allura. They're on planet S'usxen in the Xinel system. Here, I'll send you the exact coordinates." Pidge swiped her holo pad and sent the coordinates directly to Allura's pannel, the princess felt something in her heart spark, _hope_. But just as they were ready to wormhole, Lance chimed in.

"What's the deal with these weird names anyway?!" He asked, but didn't expect an answer, much less from Hunk.

"As far as my scanners can see, S'usxen is orbiting a larger planet... Airets-Im, _Airetsim_ , Aire..." He struggled with the pronunciation. "-Anyway, it seems to have a couple of buddies that orbit it too, I think they're actually moons of little Airsteam!" Shouted Hunk, joyful at the interesting phenomena he was just witnessing on his holo pad, the moons didn't have a fixed orbit but were all over the place, scattered near the bigger planet.

"Allura, while you and the others go negotiate and do your diplomacy thing with Lotor's general, can Hunk and I go explore these planets? Pleaseee?" Pidge placed her hands together and so did Hunk, looking at Allura from their seats like children asking for sweets.

Allura chuckled at the two and sighed.

"Fine, but let us get there first." She gave into their demands and earned a joyful cheer from the two and a grunt from Lance.

"Coran, we are ready to wormhole." Announced Allura as she waited for a response from Coran.

"The Teludav is a go, princess." Her advisor replied, giving her a thumbs up while watching his holo pad.

Allura wormholed the castle right next to the supposed moon.

"Landing clear, Coran?" She inquired and waited for him to run a diagnostic of the nearest landing site to Lotor's general.

"All-clear, landing is a go, princess." He answered once again after he found the best spot for them to land on, a big open area with minimal hills and no mountains, wildlife, or any sign of life for that matter.

"Lance, go call Keith, we'll be ready to deploy in half a varga." Allura commanded with a smile on her face, one step closer to saving Lotor.

_One step closer to fix the rift she had created between them._


	5. Unannounced Rendezvous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 💜 Big thanks to my beta readers Adversary and AkiHime! 💖

Lotor stood up in a hurry, taking the four companions and tucking them in his quite large pockets at each side of his hospital robe. His few days of comfort came to an unceremonious end with the irony of an announcement regarding a coronation ceremony, but there was no time to sulk now. 

With a hurried limp, Lotor exited his room and bolted through the infirmary halls, confused doctors and technicians either reporting his movements -on something one could only guess were communication devices- or chasing after him as he headed for the hangar. _Blessed be those signs,_ if not for them he would have been lost in the intricate design of the facility.

"Sire! What are you doing?!" The fleeing emperor heard someone's call from about 20 feet behind. He had no time to explain himself, _he must get to the Kral Zera as soon as possible._

There it was, his opportunity; a small ship which design resembled the one he was transported in, with crew around it that just finished unloading some equipment. He heard people behind him shout at the flight crew to _"STOP HIM!"._ Too little too late, one Galran tried to latch around his robotic arm but underestimated its power. Fueled by Lotor's fight or flight instinct and an overwhelming amount of quintessence, his arm sent the man on the ground full-force.

Lotor sprinted inside the ship and slammed the hand of the same arm into the handprint scanner, almost breaking the damned thing. He panted and looked around, confused why nothing was happening. 

"Quiznacking CLOSE!" His metallic palm lit up in a neon red color, shocking the inner workings of the device and locking the spacecraft just as the medical staff was about to reach him.

With a huff like a devil, he went to the cockpit, plopping down on the pilot's seat and losing consciousness for a moment. Energy emission of that scale was new to him, the excess of quintessence within him heightened his instincts...

"Like a brute..." He continued his thought with a murmur as he started up the ship and took off. Something shifted to his sides, distracting him from the map he just opened in order to place the coordinates for the Kral Zera.

"Oh dear, little ones, have I scared you?" Said Lotor with a soft worry in his voice, gently taking his companions out of his pockets and placing them safely on the dashboard in front of him. They didn't seem scared but rather a tad dizzy from being thrown around so much.

"No more running, I promise." He chuckled and patted their heads with his left hand, then struggled to input the coordinates into the map he had to his right. 

The craft sped up once the coordinates were given. Lotor turned the auto-pilot on and took the time to plan about how he was going to announce his presence to his people.

* * *

Lance, Keith, and Allura have just deployed on S'usxen, leaving the castle as they began searching for Lotor's general using their built-in locators. Allura lead the group, watching a dot on her holo-screen get closer as they approached it. She couldn't help but smile, they were almost there.

"Lance, Keith, we're almost there, look around and tell me if you see anyone-"

They all suddenly stopped when a figure revealed itself from behind some trees at the beginning of a forest right in front of them. Allura waved and called out for it.

"Hello!? Are you one of Lotor's generals?" She saw it approach them, and soon enough they met again with Acxa, who looked confused as to why they were there and how they found her.

"What do you want?" She said with an untrusting tone in her voice, making sure to stay on her guard. The former general squinted at the three paladins and wondered why would they come to her regarding _him._

"I know this might sound... Unwise... To you and to many, but we wish to go back into the rift to rescue Lotor..." Allura began explaining while fondling with her gloves and trying to keep a brave face.

"And the only way to go back is through the inter-reality gate which we... Destroyed, for lack of a better word-" The princess took a deep breath before continuing.

"We need your help in rebuilding the gate..." Allura's explanation came to a stop as she waited for a reaction out of Acxa. 

And a reaction she got- the half Galran's expression went from surprise to concern and then to disappointment. It worried Allura greatly.

"Lotor mentioned its construction to us-" The woman sighed, crossing her arms as she mentioned her previous teammates.

"It was built by some sort of secret team; he didn't bring it up afterward... I'm sorry, none of us know how it works or who was behind its manufacturing."

Allura's heart sank and all the color drained from her face. Her eyes were open wide in surprise as she tried to make sense of the words she had just been told. _'No... No, it cannot be- There must be a way to get him out of there...'_ she said to herself without realizing tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry..." Sighed Acxa at the sight of the troubled princess. She too missed her teacher, Lotor taught her more than she ever could hope to learn by herself, but as time went by she learned to come to terms with it. He's gone.

Keith and Lance looked a bit distraught, it was rare to see Allura cry over something and even more surprising was that she was crying over _him,_ Lotor, the man they left in the rift, the man who tried to kill them.

Lance frowned as his heart stung with jealousy that she was crying over a dead man.

"Lotor has made his choice, Allura... It's probably time to move on-" He said with a pat on her shoulder before being interrupted by a call from Pidge.

"ALLURA, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS, NOW!" Pidge said in a horrified and shocked tone.

"Huh? Pidge, what is the matter?" Allura replied, watching her holo screen intensely as the green paladin showed her footage of the Kral Zera.

"IT'S LOTOR!"


	6. Bearing One's Loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH FOR READING THIS FIC 😭💜💖  
> We recently achieved 500 hits! I'm so grateful and honored that so many people have stuck with my dumbass 💜💜💜
> 
> As always, the biggest thanks to my beta readers AkiHime and Adversary!! This chapter was a bit hectic and I couldn't have done it without them sticking by! 💜💖

There, atop the stairs of the Kral Zera and in front of his rightful flame, burning in a great amethyst color, the beacon which embodied his rule, stood Lotor. His features portrayed fury, body tense and stiff, standing tall as he looked down at the people who belittled him his entire existence, who now looked up at him in shock; the people he ruled over ever since lighting his flame, and who he will continue ruling for as long as he lives. The Galra, _his people_ , were for the first time in eons left speechless.

Lotor stiffened his robotic limbs and took a deep breath, preparing his speech. Before he could say anything, a couple of drones bunched up to broadcast the event to everyone in their universe. He lifted an eyebrow, eyeing them for a moment before letting out a sigh.

His voice rose in a commanding and ice-cold tone, shouting for all to hear clear as the day of Daibazaal.

**_"Galra brothers and sisters,"_ **

_It was at this moment the paladins received the transmission._

**_"Quit your nonsensical scramble for a ruler, for I, Emperor Lotor, have returned from a horrid battle-"_ **

_Something was wrong, so wrong- Allura noticed, but didn't know what._

**_"-With the so-called "Legendary Defender", Voltron."_ **

_His voice deepened in spiteful dread as the words left his mouth. Allura gasped, she couldn't watch, not anymore, for she found out what was wrong. His irises were gone._

**_"They have proven to us once more that they are not ready to end this war-"_ **

_His beautiful, soft sapphire irises that she once saw the spark of hope light them up every moment she spent with him. They were gone, only his yellow sclera shone with their absence._

**_"-And if war is what they wish, war is what they will get."_ **

Thousands of Galra, from the highest-ranking of commanders to mere residents of the main ship, knelt and cheered. Their emperor was back, and from a battle that even worried the worst of them no less.

Ten thousand long years of existence, a prosperous ruler, and survivor of the greatest battle yet; their God.

_The transmission ended during the deafening cheering of the Galra._

* * *

Everybody was dumbfounded.

Silence.

And then soft sobbing.

"Allura?" Called out a familiar voice. The three turned their heads towards the castle's doors.

"Shiro!" Exclaimed Keith joyfully before frowning in concern. "Shouldn't you be resting?!" He started walking towards the castle. Lance looked at Allura and gestured to go as well, but he froze at the tearful anger she wore on her face. He turned and followed Keith, not saying any word.

The princess turned to bid farewell to Acxa, but she was already gone, so she followed her teammates.

Once in the castle, everyone could feel the atmosphere drop. The air was tense as they all grouped in the command room. She looked at Shiro, happy to see him on his own two feet (well, four, with the help of Coran) but this was not the right time, not the right moment.

Allura saw the prideful expression on Romelle's face as the doors swished closed behind herself. The girl opened her mouth to speak but the princess straightened up and held up a stiff finger towards the Altean opposite to her. 

"Not another word from you." Allura called out almost in a growl.

If the room wasn't silent enough, it definitely was silent now; with the exception of the soft rumble of the castle's engines.

"Coran, pull out the Daibazaal incident from the archives." The woman commanded and her royal advisor, Coran, quickly made sure that the previous black lion's paladin was properly sat down. 

The orange-haired and mustached man transferred the archived information from his dashboard to a holo-pad, which he then brought to Allura.

"Here you go, princess." He spoke softly, almost inaudible.

Allura gave him a nod before he returned to his place, offering to help Shiro stand up but the man refused, understandably so. Just a moment later, an old transmission appeared on in the middle of the room and all eyes were fixated on it. It was the funeral of the late Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva.

This was the second time she watched it, the first time being when she was frantically searching for remnants of her childhood in her father's archives when she found this recording, but only now she noticed the swell in the empress' abdomen.

_She took a gulp and placed her hand on her own, a small sting of guilt ached in her heart._

After the recording ended, Allura brought up pictures of younger versions of the tyrant and the witch they all knew. This is where she decided to speak up.

"These have been taken before the destruction of Planet Daibazaal..." She then brought up some more recent pictures of the two, dragging them lower on the holographic panel which shone in the middle of the room.

"As you can see, before they... Died, for lack of a better term... They also had irises, but after their revival, they did not..." She frowned at the last sentence.

"That is certainly disturbing, Princess..." Spoke a voice nobody expected, Krolia. The Galran woman shared a similar expression to Allura's, but more concerned. She kept her tone calm.

"But what do you mean by that?..." She inquired, looking at the princess.

_Allura grasped the fabric of her suit a little tighter, her right arm stiffening as she did so._

"There must be something that corrupted them... And now, it corrupted _him_ too." Allura answered, lingering for a second on the word _him_. Kroila let out a hum of understanding and nodded.

Silence again.

"Uh, princess, if I may..." Shiro spoke, raising his robotic arm just a bit. 

"Yes, Shiro?" She looked at him, a tad sorry that they haven't yet spoken since his recovery.

"Who are you talking about?..." He asked, slowly scratching the back of his head.

_Oh, right... He didn't know about Lotor._

"Zarkon's son, a monster-" Replied Romelle nonchalantly. 

Allura let out sort of a gasp, sort of a scoff, as if that was an insult to her own person. She shot an icy glare at the Altean, who promptly stiffened and shut up.

"One more word from you, young lady, and I'll have off my ship!" Allura lashed out. This was the last straw, she wouldn't blindly excuse the girl's actions any longer just because she was Altean.

The princess inhaled sharply, fisting her hands, but before she would do something she'd regret, she called out for Keith.

"Keith, please escort miss Romelle out of the room." Allura frowned, loosening her stiff arms as the doors swished open then closed as the girl was taken out of the room. She then looked back at Shiro, who was looking at the door, confused by the Altean.

"Sorry about that... But yes, Prince Lotor is Zarkon's son. He also was an ally of ours until an incident no more than a movement ago..."

_Allura felt light-headed, she placed her right hand over her forehead and closed her eyes, trying to stabilize herself._

"He uh... He defeated Zarkon and took over the Galra throne..."

_Allura wabbled a bit and suddenly placed her left hand firmly on top of one Teludav pillar to keep herself from falling._

"Princess? Are you alright?!" Called out a voice that she could only guess was Coran's.

_Her vision went black._


End file.
